5.28.2012

Good morning, readers! Today I'm being interviewed by the lovely Chantel Rhondeau. Please follow this link to find out a little bit more about what makes this writer passionate about writing!

And...for the next three readers who purchase and review my story Eye of the Storm on either Good Reads or Amazon, I'll give you a copy of Something Borrowed, Something Blue which includes my story Sleepless in St. Lucia when it releases in June 2012. Leave me a link to your review and an e-mail address or a twitter address so I can contact you.

Today, I'm interviewing Ingrid Michaels. I met Ingrid through Twitter. We became Triberr mates and now Ingrid is one of my best friends in the writing world. Welcome, Ingrid.

First, tell us a
little about yourself.

Hi everyone! I'm Ingrid and I'm a Canadian Romance writer.
I'm married, with one son, and one dog. I write in a variety of romance
sub-genres, including paranormal, contemporary and, most recently, historical.
Along with novellas, I also write commercial/romance novels. And I love
cycling!

As writers, we often
become emotionally attached to our characters. Who is your favorite hero you’ve
ever written?

That's a difficult choice to make, mostly because many of my
heroes tend to be anti-heroes. I like 'em all, but some I like because of their
darker traits. Jakob, for example, is a vampire in my Diagnosis Love
novella series. He is tall, dark and sexy, but my view of vampires is that they
are basically bloodthirsty sharks dressed in nice suits. I do have a
couple of 'normal' heroes, such as Jean-Marc Lalonde. He's a handsome, caring
French Canadian doctor who signed up with Doctors Without Borders and helps
refugees in Muhajeria, Sudan.

Have you ever fallen
in love with or had a crush on one of your heroes? Tell us about him.

There's Dr. Jean-Marc... and also my new hero, JP. JP is an
art historian! I taught college-level Art History for a couple of years, so I
share his passion for art. JP is sensitive and passionate, both about art and
the love of his life, his girlfriend Karen. He enjoys good food and good
company. He's witty, urbane, refined without being pretentious. I would date
him in a second if not for… um... you know... Mr. Michaels... :-)

How do you develop
your heroes? Do you imagine their personality or their physical appearance
first? Do they grow as personalities as you write or do you do a character
sketch before you type the first word?

Although most if not all of my romances are character-driven,
I develop my hero based on the role he plays in the story. So, I'd have to say
that although I usually start with a thumbnail sketch partly based on his
occupation, his personality grows as the story develops. Of course, everything
changes as the story evolves.

I like to give my
heroes a personality quirk, just so they aren’t too perfect. Have you ever written a quirk for one of your heroes
and what was it?

*laughs* Well, Jakob likes to feed on people, and he began
as a suicidal vampire, so that's a bit quirky. :-) Jake (no relation to
Jakob-the-vampire, just some unfortunate timing in release dates between two
different projects) is a normal CPA type of guy who has Friday Night Hookups
with his very imaginative wife Maggie. Meanwhile Witman, a painter with some
paranormal connections, likes to paint Sorelle's passions. JP is
diabetic and in Illegal Forward Pass I have a hot, athletic NFL
quarterback who puts his family and community ahead of everything else.

How do you name your
hero?

Well, other than the unfortunate Jake/Jakob mishap, I go
back and forth between a list of names I keep adding to and looking at
geographical origins that might come into play in the story. For example, in Bahdria,
Jean-Marc is from Quebec, because I wanted to feature a French Canadian hero.
In Diagnosis Love, Jakob is from Hungary, because there's a strong
literary connection between Central European countries and vampirism.

Who is your favorite
hero in books, movies, or television?

My favorite fictional hero is Clark Kent, aka Superman, Smallville
version. I love how the writers made him so vulnerable! Even though he
had all of these superpowers at his disposal the poor Superboy/Superman was
fraught with emotional and psychological insecurities. Yes, the show felt like
a soap opera, but I always appreciated how the viewers sympathized with the
human side of Superman. Smallville also offered writers a lesson: no
matter how invincible a character appears, one can always find weaknesses to
exploit in dramatic situations - in Superman's case this is a universal trait
shared by every viewer; our heart and soul, our very humanity.

Who is your hero in
real life?

My hero in real life is my big brother! Several years ago he
was diagnosed with fourth stage non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, with a 30% chance of
survival. He not only beat the odds, he made a full recovery! He had chemo and
radiation treatments, and he came through better than ever! He was so
courageous. There was simply no way he would let cancer beat him. He truly is
my hero - and the inspiration for my Diagnosis Love novella, along with
my as-yet unpublished novel-length love story: Love and Death.

Tell us about your
most recent release and where we can find it. Who is the hero and what do you
like about him the most?

My newest release is a sweet contemporary/historical romance
novella titled Giovanna's Dilemma, available from Noble Romance Publishing.
The aforementioned JP (the art historian) is just one of my heroes! This
novella is set in the present and also, in a neat flashback, in 1434 Bruges,
Holland. In the historical section, the hero is a sweet sixteen-year-old boy
named Pieter Baes, Jan van Eyck's assistant, who is in love with Giovanna
Cenami, the young maiden betrothed to the much older Giovanni Arnolfini. What I
love about both of these heroes is how Pieter and JP are so devoted to the love
of their lives. Of course, Pieter has much stricter social mores to contend
with than contemporary JP, and my heart really goes out to the boy. I assure
you, yours will, too.

Thanks for joining me on Suspense, She Writes, Ingrid. It was great getting to know you better. I look forward to reading Giovanna's Dilemma. I enjoyed Bahdria very much, so I am sure this book will be terrific as well.

And now dear bloggy readers, Ingrid is giving away one copy of Giovanna's Dilemma to a lucky commenter. Leave your comment as well as an e-mail or twitter address so I can contact you. I'll draw one winner at random on Wednesday, May 30th.

5.21.2012

I'm excited to have Carmen DeSousa here on Suspense, She Writes today. I met Carmen through Triberr, and I am sure she will become one of my closest writing friends.

First, tell us a
little about yourself.

My books are sensual but not
erotic, gripping but not graphic, and filled with romance, mystery, and suspense.

As writers, we often
become emotionally attached to our characters. Who is your favorite hero you’ve
ever written?

I tend to fall in love with the character I am working
with personally, and right now that would be Chad from Land of the Noonday Sun.

Have you ever fallen
in love with or had a crush on one of your heroes? Tell us about him.

I pretty much love them all while I’m writing them, but I
think my publisher has a crush on the new character mentioned above, Chad.

How do you develop
your heroes? Do you imagine their personality or their physical appearance
first? Do they grow as personalities as you write or do you do a character
sketch before you type the first word?

I’m a pantser in every term of the word. I start with
just an idea and build from there. I’ve literally started a book in the middle
and then went back to the beginning and filled in the missing pieces.

I like to give my
heroes a personality quirk, just so they aren’t too perfect. Have you ever written a quirk for one of your heroes
and what was it?

Oh, my heroes are full of quirks. I love both of my male
and female protagonists to have deep-seated issues. I have previous addicts,
anger management issues, abused emotionally and physically, suicidal, shall I
go on? There’s not a subject I’m afraid to tackle, and believe me; in my four
books publishing this year, I systematically take on all issues.

How do you name your
hero?

I do a lot of research, but more importantly, I try to
come up with a name of someone I don’t
know.

Who is your favorite
hero in books, movies, or television?

Don’t laugh…I really like Edward…do I have to elaborate
and embarrass myself?

Who is your hero in
real life?

Hands down that would be my husband. I don’t want to make
anyone gag by being mushy, so let’s just say, I couldn’t write my stories if I
didn’t believe in “Happily Ever Afters” that my husband made believable.

Tell us about your
most recent release and where we can find it. Who is the hero and what do you
like about him the most?

The hero is a man with a traumatic past who has turned
his life around and is happy with his chosen career as a whitewater guide.
Everything changes though when fate hurls a woman into his path. His carefree
life is in turmoil, and his former weaknesses threaten to overtake him. When
tragedy strikes and he is once again in danger of losing everything he loves,
he must be strong enough to overcome his past demons.

That sounds like an interesting premise. I love whitewater rafting. I will surely be one of the first to purchase Land of the Noonday Sun.

5.18.2012

Each week, Hilary lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in
on your own blog. If you want to join the fun and come up with four fill in’s
of your own, please email them to her at feelingbeachie@gmail.com. If she uses
them, she will add you as co-host to the hop! This week’s co-host is Jen fromwhat would jen do – she came up with the
last two statements.

Hilary wouldLOVEit if you could please help her spread the word about
this hop…. So, pleasetweet, FaceBookshare, andadd the linkyto your post…

This week’s
statements:

1.I like to avoid _cooking on Friday night__
if possible. Okay, actually I try to avoid cooking.

2._Waiting patiently for someone to e-mail
back__ is a virtue I do not have. I’ll check my e-mail every other minute if I
don’t stop myself. A little compulsive, right?

3.Sometimes the __quiet moments when I’m
snuggling my kids___________ are the ___best times___________. Um, no. The ARE
the best times.

4.I think that ___Godivas__________ are the
best __chocolates___________

5.14.2012

Today my guest is Amy Romine. I met Amy on Triberr when she invited me to join her tribe, Suspense for the Romantic Heart.

The Reader in Me

by Amy Romine

Barbie is hanging precariously from the hardware of my
mother's drapes, while Ken runs to her rescue. Neighborhood war is declared.
Ammunition and walkie talkies are dispersed after a lunch of grilled cheese
sandwiches and kool-aide milkshakes. Charlie has a new assignment for his
Angels. They will be teaming with Bo & Luke Duke to secure the micro-chip
hidden in the barn via bikes. Even when the small town of Macungie, PA is
quiet, it is necessary for a girl to keep a fake gun her purse. You never know
when Archangel may arrive in his helicopter with a crisis.

My childhood was a mix of television, books, and pure
imagination. There was and is always some adventure brewing in my head, a
constant stream of images of what if's about the world, my favorite characters,
and everything in between. As a child these images were acted out in play, and
then later on the stage and on paper. To be honest, not much has changed. I
started writing as an addition to imaginary playtime. It was a catalog of events,
and when we would do what. When Barbie would finally kiss Ken, or how Chris
Monroe would find out her partner Kelly was captured by the villain. My muse
developed a taste for adventure, and I explored it through acting, theater,
screenwriting, and then finally the almighty novel.

My books start as a song lyric, a single line of dialog, or
an image. There is also a magical
time of day (or night) my Muse loves, specifically, the time when you are
laying in that place halfway between an awake mind and slumber. It is a magical
realm, and many a scene and a lot of dialog have spawned from that place of
peace.

Romantic Suspense is a natural flow of energy for me. It
fits my personality. I have attempted other genres, and I have always ended up
with the 38 Special in my hand bag.
For me, love is no fun without some treachery, and a few life and death
moments. One of the challenges I put forth on myself in writing any novel is
first, I have to love it, and second, there must be a balance. Too many times I
will read romantic suspense and it is more romance than suspense or visa-versa.
I want a good chunk of both. I want them to drive each other. I love reading romantic suspense, and
frankly I was unable to find a book that fulfilled the above need, so I wrote
my own. The inspiration for my first published novel started small. I became
intrigued by the relationship of two brothers on a popular television show, and
I started watching a little closer. Then the lyrics of a song developed the
plot and angst, and I went with it--Two
people, breathless and desperate to kiss each other but unable to act on their
feelings. I focused on the single image, rolling all of the possibilities
in my head. Why wouldn’t they be able to fulfill their desires? What was
holding them back, and what would make them so desperate to act? Where did the
need to be in the others embrace stem from? What were the consequences if they
acted on their desires?

The answers to each of these questions are of course
endless, but in the end Trust Me was born. The two people became Rebecca Gailen
and Eric Stiles. The scene wound up in a very different place than I imagined.
It, and its consequences, were shattering to both characters. The Trust Me
Trilogy is my all time favorite series of books. As a reader, they have
everything I want in a romantic suspense! There is action, suspense, romance,
chemistry, passion, angst, ranting, crying, fighting, deception... you name it,
it's in there. As a reader I think I succeeded in my efforts, creating tales you
can immerse yourself in and experience the adventure from the comfort of your
favorite chair. They tell every writer to write what they love. I am a writer
because I love to read. I can only hope readers love what I write.

The location of the worst single act
of paranormal carnage in human history, the people of Whitten’s Grove, and the
world, have no conscious memory of the event…until now.

When Special Agent Ben Mitchell’s
memory returns, he uncovers a secret world where anything is possible, and the
woman he loves, NSA Agent Rachel Alton, is the key to it all.

Only Rachel is aware of the
unthinkable choices that lay ahead. Torn between her need for redemption and
the man she’s loved her entire life, when the world collapses around them
Rachel knows the ultimate choice is clear.

Author
Bio

Amy
Romine has always wanted to be one of the good guys. From playing ‘Charlie’s
Angels’ in the backyard of her Allentown, PA home as a child, to the pages of
her most recent series, The Soul Mate Chronicles, Amy has always dreamt of
adventure and romance. Her need to
make characters truly deserve their happiness takes us on many a twisted
journey. From serial killers to demons, Amy holds nothing back in the name of
true enduring love.

A
wife, mother of three, full-time corporate employee and now the author of two
compellingly addictive series and finishing a third, her entrance onto the
stage of romantic suspense has been an enthralling adventure all its own. Amy
started writing in high school but didn’t take the professional plunge until
three years ago when a little voice told her she was meant to be doing
something more…

Since
her premier release of Serenity Lost in October 2010 with Extasy Books, Amy has
become the Prime Time Editor for BellaOnline, and regular contributing author
to the Amazon Subscription Blog, ‘Red Lipstick Journals’. Amy is also an active eBook Author
supporter lending her voice to encouraging new and indie eBook authors in
striding toward their visions. Her
own goal is to be a self sustaining author by 2014.

Amy
currently resides in Arlington, Texas with her husband, and three children.

That first kiss. The magical moment our reader has been waiting for, holding her breath for. The beginning of the happy ever after for the protagonist and her hero. Carmen DeSousa has compiled a collection of first kisses from published or not yet published books. And an excerpt from my story, Eye of the Storm, is included!Hereis the link to her blog. Come by and indulge in some magical first kiss moments.

5.07.2012

I am so happy to have Jan Romes with me today. One night on Twitter,
Jan Romes and Sandy Owens were busy drooling, twitting, and tweeting over the
men of NCIS. That was something I could easily relate to, so I tweeted my way
into their droolfest, and that’s how I met Jan. So on with the interview...

First, tell us a
little about yourself.

Thanks for having me on your blog today, Denise!

Let’s see, a little about myself…

I’m a shy person by nature, but life keeps pulling me out of
my shell in one way or another (and that’s a good thing). I enjoy writing
humorous contemporary romance, but I love to read all genres. When I’m not
creating stories, I can be found working as a part-time fitness instructor or
gardening. But enough about me, let’s talk heroes!

As writers, we often
become emotionally attached to our characters. Who is your favorite hero you’ve
ever written?

Each hero has a special place in my heart, but if I had to
pick the one that stands out from the rest it would be ‘Kiptyn Thomas’ from my
book One Small Fib. Kiptyn grew/changed the most. He was a billionaire who got
a rush from making money; it was his world…until he met Allie Blue. (I still
get excited about this love story!)

Have you ever fallen
in love with or had a crush on one of your heroes? Tell us about him.

I think we fall in love with each hero we write. They
represent bits and pieces of the men in our lives. I think I had a crush on
Jared Kelly from Kiss Me. He’s a handsome cop who understood Lacy Goodlow
better than she understood herself. For a guy to understand you, to really ‘get’ you, is incredible!

How do you develop
your heroes? Do you imagine their personality or their physical appearance
first? Do they grow as personalities as you write or do you do a character
sketch before you type the first word?

Once I figure out my story line and my heroine, the hero is
easy to develop. I have to know her before I can know him. (Does that make
sense?) I can easily picture him from that point, and I have a pretty good idea
where I want his character to go.

I like to give my
heroes a personality quirk, just so they aren’t too perfect. Have you ever written a quirk for one of your heroes
and what was it?

I love heroes with quirks; gives them depth, makes them real.
For Kiptyn Thomas in One Small Fib he had to deal with a touch of OCD. In Lucky
Ducks, Kasen Isaak had a mild case of dyslexia.

How do you name your
hero?

To name my hero, I consider who he is (i.e. billionaire
bachelor) and his personality --- Kiptyn Thomas, III, says wealth/old money.
Tough, but loveable – Jared Kelly.

Who is your favorite
hero in books, movies, or television?

My favorite hero at the moment is from television: Leroy
Jethro Gibbs from NCIS!! Sexy, in-charge, but flexible! (Tony Dinozzo runs a
close second – great sense of humor)

Tell us about your
most recent release and where we can find it. Who is the hero and what do you
like about him the most?

My recent release is Kiss Me. It was published by Champagne
Books on 4/2/12. My hero is Jared Kelly; handsome cop and all-around good guy,
who has to deal with a dysfunctional family just like my heroine, Lacy
Goodlow. The way he handles his
situation and Lacy’s, makes you like him straight away.

Blurb:

Falling for the cop who wrote her a
speeding ticket and dated her spoiled stepsister throws Lacy Goodlow’s world
into chaos, but ignoring her heart to keep the peace is not an option.

Excerpt:

“Sir, seriously,” she whimpered. “I haven’t been drinking. And I
need to get going.” She held her wrist up so he could see her watch. “My
sister’s bachelorette party has already started, and if I don’t get there soon,
she’s going to blow a gasket.”

Deputy J. Kelly’s eyes widened perceptibly.

Crap. He was picturing the same thing she was—drunken women and lots
of alcohol.

Regardless, she was late. Lacy blew out a weighty breath of
frustration, and contemplated making a move for his gun or handcuffing herself
to his cruiser; anything so she wouldn’t have to face the wrath of Angela.

Deputy Kelly’s first command was for her to walk a straight line.
Ha! Her sandal teetered on a stone and she swayed sideways. Next, touch the end
of her nose. The earth must’ve shifted, because she missed and almost jabbed
herself in the eye. And because of the diet cola she’d downed on the way there,
she was fidgeting all over the place. “Are we done?”

Without answering the question, he leaned forward and took a big
whiff.

An involuntary prickle of pleasure pulsed through her.

“I’m not going to administer the breathalyzer because your eyes
aren’t glassy or red, your speech is not impaired, and I don’t smell alcohol on
your breath.”

Duh. He’d been sniffing for alcohol, not enjoying her perfume.

She mumbled a feeble thank-you, but it was drowned out by a car
filled with teenagers who buzzed past and hollered “Strip-search her.”

5.04.2012

Each week, Hilary at Feeling Beachie plan on lists four statements with a blank for you to
fill in on your own blogs. If you want to join the fun and come up with four
fill in’s of your own, please email them to her at feelingbeachie@gmail.com. If she uses them, she will add you as co-host to the hop! This week’s co-host is Megan
fromMonday Morning
Musings.She came up with the last two
statements. Hilary can
really use co-hosts, so please email her some statements!

She would LOVE it if you
could please help me spread the word about this hop…. So, please tweet,FaceBook share,and add the linkyto
your post…

This week’s statements:

1.I
can’t stand when people say _I'll call you tomorrow and don't___

2.If
you are going to __tailgate me_ please_know that I'm going to slow down__

4.If I
had a dollar for every time I heard _my kids say "Mom" in that voice that means they can't find something that's really only hidden beneath that pile of clothes on their bedroom floor_____, I swear I’d be a millionaire by
now.

5.01.2012

Ingrid Michaels has a crisp, clean writing style that engaged me from the very first word. Bahdria is subtitled A Love Story, and truly this is one of the sweetest love stories I’ve read in a long time. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ingrid’s work.

Jean-Marc is a true hero, practicing medicine for Doctors Without Borders in a refugee camp in the Sub-Saharan desert. The camp suffers from limited supplies and a broken water well. When a preteen boy attempts to fix the ruptured mechanism and falls in, Jean-Marc doesn’t hesitate to descend into the depths of the well to save the youngster. Such is his dedication to saving lives.

The high point of the story centers on the selfless love of Jean-Marc for his wife Sharon, whom he affectionately calls Bahdria. He succeeds in rescuing the boy, but slips and hangs on the side of the well, struggling to gain purchase. Sharon grips the rope surrounding his waist desperately trying to keep her husband from plunging to his death, and in so doing endangers her own life. A light of selflessness shines around this couple. Bahdria is a tale of courage, commitment, and unconditional love. I won’t reveal the beautiful end of this story, but I will tell you this closing scene brought tears to my eyes—something that doesn’t happen very often.

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Some stuff about me...

Denise wrote her
first story when she was in high school—seventeen hand-written pages on
school-ruled paper and an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel she read.
She earned a degree in accounting, giving her some nice skills to earn a little
money, but her passion has always been writing. She has written numerous short
stories and more than a few full-length novels. Her favorite pastimes when
she’s not writing are spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and
scrapbooking. She lives in Louisiana with the most wonderful husband and the two best children in the whole wide world.